An Unexpected Hylian
by PinguThePenguin
Summary: Years before the quest for Erebor, Bilbo adopted a mute, orphaned little boy by the name of Link. When the Dwarves arrive, Link comes along with them on the journey, but soon finds out he has his own troubles to solve. Meanwhile, Bilbo is having a hard time believing he even joined this company in the first place. Good thing he'll always have Link to knock some sense into him.


**Author's Note:** Ok, so, I had this idea for a SUPER long time now and I really wanted to get it out there because I needed some sort of satisfaction.

In this story, I'm using Wii U 2015 Link as the design, because I LOVE the way he looks. If you haven't seen the Wii U 2015 Link, go google it. Now. You won't be disappointed. Also, Link is mute in this story. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but that's the way I like to write Link.

**Disclaimer****:** I do not anything related to the Legend of Zelda franchise, or The Hobbit franchise. The characters belong to their respective creators and are not mine in any way whatsoever. (sobs)

**PS.** I drew a lot of attention to Link's ears because I had to have some kind of distinction between Hylians and regular Elves. I picked the ears because when I really study Link's design, they are a very different, more narrow and pointy, shape than those of Elves in the LotR and Hobbit movies. So...yeah.

Now, onward!

* * *

><p><strong><span>-Link-<span>**

Link barely heard a door open and shut closed, followed by the sound of locks being clicked, over the sound of his Ocarina, which he was playing one of his favorite tunes on in the parlour. He had his feet up on a table, reclining in a comfy chair as he played away in front of a brightly lit window just over the table. It was a song that he had known since Bilbo Baggins found him hidden in the forest, filthy and starving, and adopted him, giving him a room and food and care; a song he felt he had known since before even that; a slow, peaceful melody that Bilbo had dubbed a lullaby upon hearing it for the first time.

Suddenly, he heard his name be called out. "Link!"

It was Bilbo's voice that had said it, and he sounded pretty frustrated too. Link hoped it wasn't anything he did; he liked to think he had been well-behaved the past few weeks, and Bilbo's wrath could sometimes be very frightening. But, on the contrary, when Link looked up to see him, the Hobbit in question with his curly brown hair and bright green eyes, looked flushed and out of breath, like he had just escaped from a bear's den. Link shot up and went over to him, suddenly worried for his adopted father's well being.

"Don't worry, it's nothing serious. I just wanted to give you some warning." Bilbo assured, reaching a hand up to rest it on Link's arm. "There's some madman running around the Shire asking people to go on adventures with him! Ridiculous, really, asking Hobbits of all creatures. He just got done asking me, barely made it out of the situation. But I'm sure I gave him the boot." Bilbo finished with a proud smile up at his son.

Link's head tilted to the side, his bangs flopping into his eyes. He agreed with Bilbo that anyone would be a fool to ask a Hobbit on an adventure, but the thought remained as to why this man wanted a Hobbit to go on an adventure.

He was so lost in his thoughts, that Link only barely realized Bilbo was still speaking. "...friend of my mother's, sure, but that doesn't mean he's automatically a friend of mine! I mean...the man acted like he'd known me all his life, even though he only knew me in my childhood! Absurd, really..." From that point on, Bilbo was only muttering to himself as he made his way past Link, out of the parlour, and into the kitchen for some tea.

Link watched him walk away, chuckling. Bilbo was almost always grumbling or lecturing about something, and it seemed today was no different. After seven years, he got used to his adoptive father telling him to 'stop tracking dirt in the house' and 'stop playing with his food'. But even despite all the lectures and lessons on 'proper manners', Bilbo was still Link's father, and Link knew it was all because Bilbo cared for him. Bilbo had taken him in after no one else had, even knowing that Link would one day be at least two feet taller than him, and would most definitely have to make his home a little more spacious, and get quite a few household necessities resized for him. He was so grateful to Bilbo for looking after him and giving him a home, Link only wished he could voice his thanks in full.

"I'm going to start the kettle, do want any tea?" Bilbo asked from the stove and turned around to face Link.

Link shook his head and pointed out the window with his thumb as he started walking away.

He caught sight of Bilbo rolling his eyes before turning back to the kettle. "Of course you go outside right after I tell you there's a mad wizard on the loose." There was a pause where Link stepped back into the room with a sudden peaked interest, and heard Bilbo sigh deeply. "I didn't mean to say wizard, did I...?" Bilbo turned around and pointed at Link's smirking face sternly. "Do not go looking for trouble, you hear me? I swear, if another wild animal starts chasing you through the Shire, I'm not going to shelter you in here again! My garden's never been the same." Link held back laughter at how saddened Bilbo looked when he added that last bit.

Nonetheless, Link only rolled his eyes and waved off Bilbo's comments with a hand before running off down the hall to his room.

Grabbing his cloak from his dresser, he stopped to look at himself in the mirror. His shiny golden hair had gotten much too long in the past while, his bangs swept to one side to keep out of his eyes, and the rest of it was long enough to reach a little past his shoulders. He ran a hand through it self-consciously, before throwing his cloak over his bed, and instead grabbing a band to tie his hair back with. When done, he had a semi-neat little ponytail sticking off the back of his head, but there were thick tresses of hair still dangling in front of his ears and reaching down to his chin. Link merely huffed at them. He never could manage to get rid of those.

But the tresses of hair reminded him of the ears. The ears he hated so much. For some reason, they made Link feel more out of place than his height did. No elf in the books in Bilbo's study had ears as flat and narrow and pointy as Link's and it made him outright frustrated. Why did he have to look so different? He was already living in a place where everyone in town was two feet shorter than him, why did he have to top it off with his knife-like ears?

Shaking his head clear of the questions, he tugged at his light blue tunic he wore over a white long-sleeved shirt, decorated with white line markings around the seams of it. Bilbo had it made for him on his seventeenth birthday. He said he had tried to get it as close as possible to the shirt Link was wearing when he and Bilbo first met. Link wore it almost every other day, he loved it that much. It had been more than kind of the local seamstress to make it for him, and for Bilbo to buy it, along with the pants she had made, and boots.

He had always felt like a burden to that woman, simply because Link was so much...bigger than everyone in the Shire. She had to specially make all of his clothes as he grew, and he couldn't thank her enough for it; him and Bilbo both.

Shaking his head, Link swept his thick bangs out of his eyes once more before grabbing his cloak again and swinging it over his shoulders, clicking the clasp together under his neck. He pulled on his boots on the way out of his bedroom door, too excited to go out to care about stopping in his tracks to put them on.

Because of this, Link nearly tripped over himself on his way out the front door, causing Bilbo to snort in laughter as the door shut behind him.

It was a beautiful day outside; Link could see why Bilbo had chosen to take his smoking out to the garden. The sun was burning bright upon the emerald grassy hills of the Shire, illuminating the flowers in the different gardens of separate smials spread out amongst the field. There was a gentle breeze flowing through the air, gently rustling the foliage along the dirt roads of Hobbiton, and making the bright flowers dance amongst themselves. It was certainly a sight to behold.

Link had never really gotten used to the peacefulness of the Shire, however. He had always been in wonder of it, but never had he been able to gaze upon it without a glint of awe in his eyes. He thought he would never see anything more lovely than the Shire in springtime, and knew there could be nothing more peaceful than laying in the growing grass and resting his face under the sun.

As amazing as it was, though, Link felt too...out of place. Not just because he was a whopping 1.70 meters (or five feet and seven inches) tall, but because he craved something else besides peace and quiet. He felt as if he didn't belong sitting around reading, planting flowers, or going to dinner parties with Bilbo's disliked distant relations. An itch had grown fervent in Link's heart, telling him he needed to run. He needed to fly. He needed to move anywhere he pleased, at his leisure. Finally scratching that itch, would be Link's greatest pleasure.

Glancing back at Bag End as he made his way down the road, however, made Link regret those thoughts. He appreciated all of Bilbo's efforts in raising him, he really did, and Link wasn't about to leave his father now for some silly itch. They had both been so alone when Bilbo found him hiding in the brush, nibbling on his stolen bread. Link wasn't about to ditch Bilbo any time soon. He loved the Hobbit's company too much to give it up.

The only sound as Link walked calmly through Hobbiton was the sound of his boots patting the ground when he walked. He would get greetings from the neighbors he passed that happened to be outside as he walked, and he would wave politely at them as he passed. Thankfully, none of them had jobs for him that day, like they had most of the time. Because Link was bigger than all the Hobbits, most would ask his assistance on different jobs and tasks when he was free. However, Link had always been more on the lanky side than anything, so he didn't really understand why he was always being asked to work. But, Link was always happy to help in any way he could, so he usually didn't mind.

"Oi! Master Link!"

Link brightened a little at the voice he heard, knowing right away that it was Bilbo's gardener, Hamfast Gamgee. Mister Gamgee was always extremely kind to Link, ever since Bilbo made the decision to adopt him. He was the first Hobbit, in fact, to tell Bilbo that he fully supported their little family, and would do anything he could to help them. Link and Bilbo both had been eternally grateful to him.

With a smile on his face, Link turned to Mister Gamgee, who was standing behind the fence of his garden. "Hello, lad, how are you?" The Hobbit greeted cheerfully, holding his arms open for a hug.

Link bent over the fence to hug him, and after pulling away, shrugged his shoulders before shaking his hand, palm facing downward.

Hamfast nodded, chuckling. "Feeling like your usual self then? I suppose I'd have it no other way. How about Bilbo? He doing ok?"

Link nodded his head, his bangs falling in his face for about the third time that day. He huffed and glared up at them before attempting to blow them out of his way.

"Well, that's good to know. And hey, let him know that I'll be around at noon tomorrow to check up on the snapdragons. They've been looking a little worse for wear last I've seen them." Hamfast added, getting a serious look in his eye.

With a thumbs up, wink, and a smile, Link was back on the road, waving his goodbye to Mister Gamgee.

As soon as it had ended, it was quiet again in the Shire, with Link's boots crunching the dirt on the path, and the wind rustling leaves. And Link tried to enjoy it, he really did. But it was just...

"Too quiet?"

Link froze in his steps, and stared straight ahead, not recognizing the voice that had spoken. A sudden rush ran through his chest, and he envisioned himself whipping around on his heels, pulling an arrow from his back and aiming it right at the potentially dangerous stranger. Link released a breath. If only.

Slowly turning around, Link came upon a strange sight. An elderly man, taller than Link, carrying a staff with a long grey beard and hair covered by a pointy grey hat, and long grey robes draped over his body, was standing nearby. He was smiling a little, and Link had to admit, it kind of made him uncomfortable. But it took a second for Link to remember that he had stepped out of Bag End and gone for a walk to hopefully catch sight of a wizard.

Perhaps he actually had.

The stranger began laughing, as if he had read Link's thoughts, and held a hand out to him. "I apologize if I frightened you. I am Gandalf the Grey." He inclined his head down a little as a polite nod.

Link was still for a moment, surprised that the man was even bothering to introduce himself, before returning the nod of the head and shaking the man's hand.

Chuckling, Gandalf tilted his head slightly, his smile faltering. "Might you tell me your name, my boy?" He asked curiously, gripping his staff with both hands and leaning his body on it slightly.

Link sighed. He hated it when people asked him his name, especially when Bilbo wasn't around. He had to spell out his name to people with the sign language Bilbo taught him, but that wasn't what upset him about it. What upset him was that barely anyone bothered to learn sign language, so he would eventually have to spell out his name in the air, or go get a piece of paper to be understood.

Reluctantly, Link lifted a hand to sign out the letters L-I-N-K for the strange, inquisitive old man.

To his surprise, Gandalf nodded carefully. "Link..." he muttered the name quietly, and Link wondered why he sounded so mysterious about it. "Well, Link, might you be the son that my friend Bilbo had mentioned to me merely minutes ago?"

Link blinked in surprise. So Gandalf was the wizard that Bilbo ran into earlier. Carefully, Link nodded to the Gandalf, suddenly nervous that he was communicating with a real wizard. He had just come outside wanting to see him, not speak to him.

The wizard was suddenly smiling brightly again. "Well, it is a very pleasure to meet you. I wish I could stay and chat with you longer, but I'm afraid I have some business to attend to. If you will excuse me..." Gandalf nodded his head once more and walked briskly down the road, past Link.

Link followed the man with his eyes for a long moment before tilting his head confusedly. What an odd encounter that had been. A strange wizard comes to Hobbiton looking for a Hobbit to adventure with him to who even knows where, yet when he comes across someone his size, Gandalf walks away without any word on the matter. Which drew out Link's question again: Why did Gandalf want or need a Hobbit?

Not that Hobbits were useless; Link had been raised around them, he knew they were capable of many things. But Hobbits were creatures of settlement and peace; they weren't accustomed to traveling or surviving without books and gardening and their comfy armchairs. Getting a Hobbit to leave their smial for a long, dangerous adventure would be a difficult task to accomplish. Though, there were some Hobbits that would go on adventures every now and then, none of them lived around this area. They lived further away from the domesticity of the Shire in large houses to carry the entire family. Link wondered if Gandalf had asked them, or was planning to.

"Hold on! I'm sorry, but I almost forgot."

Link jerked out of his thoughts to see the wizard rushing back over to him with something in his hand other than a staff this time. "I'm terribly sorry, but would you like to take this? It is of no use to me anymore, and you seem like an able young man with sharp eyes." The wizard smiled at him handing him something large and wrapped up in cloth.

To say Link hesitated would be an understatement. He knew the dangers of taking things from strangers, but this man looked so kind, and he did say he knew Bilbo. Slower than he would have liked to admit, Link stepped forward to unwrap the mysterious gift while Gandalf continued to hold it out with both hands for him.

Link gasped when the cloth fell open.

It was a bow; a beautifully carved wooden bow with tight wrappings on both string nocks, bringing out the recurve of the bow's limbs. There were iron braces framing the center gripping point, which was wrapped with brown tape, almost invisible against the wood. Link reached a hand out and tugged at the bowstring. It was definitely tough, and attached to the bow with no problems; it wasn't too tight, and it wasn't too loose. It was perfect.

"It comes with arrows, of course. And a quiver, too." It seemed like the wizard pulled the items in question right out of thin air and handed them over with a wink.

Link was too excited to be wary any longer. He grabbed the quiver quickly and examined the belt that was attached to it. He looked confusedly at it. "It's supposed to attach to you waist instead of your back." Gandalf explained, sensing Link's dilemma.

Confusion dissipating at the explanation, Link smiled brightly up at the old man, finally setting the quiver down on the ground to pick up the elegant bow in front of him. It was extremely light, but Link felt so much...stronger just holding it in his hands. He ran his fingers over the wood; smooth to the touch. The bow was thoroughly crafted, he could tell. He could also sense there was much more to this bow than meets the eye.

Link had always been fascinated with weaponry. It was a strange hobby, Bilbo never let him live it down, but he spent hours reading on the different kinds of swords and bows and axes that were used in battle. There was one instance, when Link was younger, that he had made a slingshot with his own two hands, and drove Bilbo mad with it. He would shoot grapes into the sink, wads of crumpled paper into different decorative bowls and vases, and, in one instance, pebbles at the Sackville-Bagginses (though Bilbo hadn't encouraged it, he had found it extremely entertaining, especially when Link managed a shot to Lobelia's head). Bilbo eventually confiscated it for a few days after Link accidentally gave a pig a black eye, even though Link had apologized thoroughly.

Gandalf laughed when Link motioned 'Thank you' far too many times due to his excitement. "There is no need to thank me, by boy. You will do great things with this bow." At that, Gandalf slapped a hand on Link's shoulder, winked at him and made his way off down the path.

Link stared at the bow for far too long after that. He was so happy, he didn't even want to put it down! But he was soon feeling that people were beginning to stare at him. He coughed and waved at them awkwardly as he knelt down to pick up the quiver he had dropped and moved a little further down the road so he would no longer be the center of attention.

Sighing, Link turned his head upwards to the clouds soaring above him, a frown suddenly laden on his face. He was ever so thankful for the spontaneous gift, but part of him had wished that Gandalf would have asked him to come on the adventure he was planning. A trip out of Hobbiton and through the woods, past the borders of the Shire was just what Link wanted, needed even, especially now that he had means of self-defense. But...he also didn't want to leave Bilbo behind.

He turned his head slowly back down and continued walking the path through Hobbiton until he reached his favorite spot to lay down. He smiled wistfully as he made his way over to it and, after carefully placing his bow and quiver on the ground, sprawled himself out on the grass, every muscle relaxed in an instant and his eyes closed.

The warm sunlight falling on his face, and the peace and quiet of the Shire eventually lead to Link falling asleep in the field. He had a habit of doing that, and it drove Bilbo mad with worry a lot of the time. Link could sleep for days if he wanted, and sometimes Bilbo had to leave Bag End to search for him because Link wouldn't wake up in time for dinner. Link felt sorry that he always laughed at Bilbo's easily flustered and worried nature, but he just couldn't help it half the time.

In his dreams, Link saw flashes of a sword and shield in battle, and heard the clanking of metal on metal as weapons clashed together fiercly. He heard a haunting laugh echoing in the background, behind all of the screaming and shouting of ongoing battle. Flames were erupting from weakly built shelters and families were evacuating from them, only to be caught by filthy, deformed creatures, and killed. Blood splattered all over the ground, and the puddles were illuminated by the raging flames. The men and women would fight the fowl creatures, but nothing could save them from death. Not even themselves. Everyone died, eventually, and Link was forced to watch from the shadows as a large being, silhouetted by black with glowing eyes observed the destruction and laughed. His head turned from one end of the village to the next, until his bright eyes fell directly on Link. Then, Link's vision started waning in and out of focus; the figure would flash between being far away and up close. His heart began thumping erratically and his breathing became shallow.

"_I will find you...Link..._"

Jerking awake, Link found himself back in Hobbiton, sitting upright in the grass and gasping for breath, his body shaking violently. He clenched his blue eyes shut and put a hand over his heart, applying pressure to the point as if it would slow down the rate of its beating. Once Link was no longer able to hear his heartbeat loud and clear in his narrow ears, he wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead with a shaky sigh.

Link had nightmares often, but never had they been so detailed before. He would always see the fire and the shadowed figure, but the blood and death had been a new, unwanted, addition to the horror Link faced when his mind slipped to unconsciousness. So was the voice; that haunting voice. Just thinking about it sent shivers down Link's spine.

"Link? Link! Did you fall asleep in the grass again?"

Said boy shot up from the ground in fright and spun around to the voice addressing him. He came face to face with a shocked and worried looking Bilbo. He had sounded like he was about to give Link another scolding when he spoke before, but Link must have expressed his fear in his face.

"Oh, Link..." Bilbo sighed heavily, making his way over. "Was it another nightmare?" His voice took on a very soft tone, questioning gently, his face becoming wrought with worry.

Link sniffled like a child, and nodded his head slowly. He knelt down on the ground to engulf Bilbo in a large, tight hug.

He heard Bilbo sigh again as he felt the Hobbit return the hug and start patting his back. "It's alright. Dreams are only dreams after all. Nothing more than that." Bilbo's hand moved from his back to his hair and ruffled it gently. "You're a brave boy, Link. These nightmares are nothing to your courage. Right?" Bilbo pulled away to look Link in the eyes with an encouraging smile.

Sucking in a deep breath, Link nodded slowly again, a shaky smile appearing on his face.

Bilbo nodded with him. "Good. You never forget that, understand? You. Are. Strong."

Smiling more confidently, Link nodded again, even laughing a little bit at Bilbo's forcefulness with his words.

"Now come along. Lunch is ready and I know you'd hate to miss it."

Link, smiling brightly now, nodded for a third time and stood back up on his feet to grab his bow and quiver. When he straightened back up he was met with a frown from his adopted father. "What on Earth is that?" Bilbo pointed at the weapon now in Link's hand.

Sheepishly, Link held it up for Bilbo to see. "Is that...a bow? And you have arrows and everything? How...where on Earth did you get this?" Bilbo placed his hands on his hips, staring up at Link with a questioning gaze.

Link shrugged and tucked the bow under his arm so he could sign the word 'wizard', without meeting Bilbo's gaze.

Only a huff came out of Bilbo's mouth for a moment. "Of course that mad wizard would go handing out dangerous weapons to teenagers. Honestly." He crossed his arms and shook his head.

Eyes growing wide, Link gripped the bow tighter in his hands. He was afraid that Bilbo would make him return it to the wizard, or just confiscate it like he had with the slingshot. When Bilbo looked up at him, mouth open like he was about to say something, he saw the pleading in Link's eyes and the way he gripped the bow like it was about to fade out of existence.

"I suppose you should be wearing gloves to use it, right?" Bilbo suddenly asked, making Link blink in surprise and then nod. "Well, I'll have some made for you. As long as you promise not to practice anywhere near Bag End or livestock of any kind. Understand?"

Bilbo barely even finished saying the word before Link was crushing him in another, tighter, hug than before. The teen nodded frantically as he squeezed the struggling Hobbit tighter before finally letting go, and giving Bilbo room to breathe again. He motioned his thanks to Bilbo multiple times, just like he had with the old wizard, causing Bilbo to chuckle.

"You're welcome, lad, now come on. I'm hungry, and once you've eaten you can go out and give your bow a try." Bilbo smiled and patted Link on the back as they began walking off down the path side by side. As they walked, Link placed a hand on Bilbo's head and ruffled the Hobbit's already messy hair. "Will you stop that, please?" Bilbo grouched, swatting the teen's hand away. "I feel short enough just walking next to you." He added sourly.

Link laughed. Teasing Bilbo about his height was something Link would always find funny.

* * *

><p><span><strong>-Bilbo-<strong>

Bilbo was overwhelmed, to say the least. In fact, overwhelmed was probably an understatement.

A week or two ago, Bilbo had had a wizard asking him to go on adventures, and now there were four Dwarves, four Dwarves, by the names of Dwalin, Balin, Fili, and Kili were in his kitchen, eating his food at his dining table and laughing at stories and jokes being told amongst themselves. Bilbo could only stand in the doorway of the parlour and watch them painstakingly whilst carrying the weapons one of the dwarves had handed him as they invited themselves inside, wishing that either they would realize they have the wrong house, or Link would come home from his shooting practice and keep him company through this...strange encounter.

Suddenly, there was another knock on the front door and Bilbo spun around, surprised at first, before it transformed into anger and frustration. "Oh no. No, no! There's nobody home! Go away and bother somebody else!" The Hobbit shouted fiercely, throwing the weapons down on his mother's glory box and stomped his way to the front door. "There are far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is! If this is some...clotterd's idea of a joke, I can only say, it is in very poor taste!"

Bilbo huffed and yanked the front door open, only to have eight dwarves fall over onto his welcome mat in the doorway. He stared at their groaning, writhing bodies before glancing out the door and seeing none other than Gandalf the Grey peeking through it. "Gandalf..." Bilbo muttered, frustrated.

The Dwarves eventually gathered themselves onto their feet and made their way inside after all bowing their respect to Bilbo and introducing themselves. He suddenly had the names Bofur, Bifur, Bombur, Oin, Gloin, Dori, Ori, and Nori to add to the list of Dwarves invading his house. Gandalf had made his way in last, after all the dwarves were out of the way and approached Bilbo with a smile. "Bilbo! How are you this fine evening?" He sounded annoyingly joyful in his greeting.

"Not well, Gandalf, to tell you the truth. I've got a Dwarf infestation in my house, and you have something to do with it!" Bilbo pointed at him accusingly with a stern, angry face on.

Gandalf played the innocent card with him. "Oh, now, you'll get used to them. They're quite a merry gathering, really. Just give them a chance!" The wizard argued calmly.

"I don't want to give them a chance, Gandalf! I wanted a nice relaxing evening in my own home! I don't understand why I have Dwarves pillaging my pantry like vultures!" Bilbo argued harshly, nearly running out of breath in his anger.

Gandalf huffed and began making his way to the dining room with the Dwarves, Bilbo trailing angrily behind him. "You will know soon enough, Bilbo. Just let the Dwarves eat. They've had a long journey."

Before Bilbo could even get another word out, Gandalf was ignoring him and counting the heads of the Dwarves as they all rushed by him back and forth between the pantry and the dining room. Bilbo harrumphed and focused on trying to get the Dwarves to not take out so much food, because they were taking a lot of it, but nothing he said was to any avail. All the Dwarves would ignore him and continue on to the dining room to line the food up on the table with the rest of it.

One Dwarf in particular, Bombur was his name, was carrying three whole cheese wheels to the dining room. "That's a tad...excessive isn't it? Have you got a cheese knife?" Bilbo asked him as he walked away, seemingly ignoring him.

"Cheese knife?" The one called Bofur scoffed as he made his own way past Bilbo. "He eats it by the block!"

Bilbo nearly fainted in discomfort.

Soon, the entire pantry was empty and Bilbo was staring at the barren rows of shelves along the walls, whilst listening to the shouts, cheers, and laughs of the Dwarves having the time of their lives in the dining room. He sucked in a deep and heavy breath before releasing it slowly. He was so hungry, yet he had a feeling these Dwarves wouldn't be too keen to share the feast they had created from his pantry. Perhaps Link would bring home some animal he'd accidentally shoot during target practice.

Hopefully.

Suddenly, a loud belching contest was going on behind him, and Bilbo was near screaming with frustration. He left the pantry, and made his way to the parlour to have a sit and rest calmly until the whole Dwarfish affair was done with.

It was only a little while later that Bilbo was approached by one of the smaller, less threatening Dwarves, Ori. He was holding a plate looking extremely confused. "Excuse me. I'm sorry if I'm in bothering you, but what should I do with my plate?" He asked kindly, if not nervously.

Bilbo was about to answer, but was interrupted by yet another dwarf, Fili, who came up next to him and grabbed the plate from Ori's hand. "Here, give it to me." He had said before tossing it down the hall to his brother, Kili.

Kili seemed to be waiting for it as it hurled straight for his head. Bilbo was almost about to scream with fright, even when Kili actually caught the plate and tossed it off.

"Excuse me, that's my mother's West Farthing crockery, and it's over a hundred years old!" Bilbo shouted at the Dwarves, who had now begun throwing their dishes around like it was some sort of game. Then some of them started making a beat with the silverware at the table. Bilbo huffed. "Can you not do that? You'll blunt them!" He reprimanded.

"Oh, you here that lads? He says we'll blunt the knives!" The Dwarf named Bofur started laughing, and the others started to laugh with him.

Soon, to Bilbo's utter annoyance, there was a song going.

"_Blunt the knives, bend the forks_

_Smash the bottles and burn the corks_

_Chip the glasses and crack the plates_

_That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_"

Said Bilbo Baggins was all in a fluster, trying to catch the flying plates and silverware and cups that were whizzing past his head. As he did so, some of the Dwarves had grabbed instruments and began playing them along to the tune of the song they were singing. Gandalf had joined in on the laughter, watching the whole scene play out before him in amusement. Bilbo couldn't help but feel even more annoyed with him.

By the song's end, Bilbo was shocked to the core to see the dishes clean, clear, and piled high in the sink, with the Dwarves laughing in triumph at their clever song. "By the way, my dear Bilbo." Gandalf said suddenly, making Bilbo's eyes jump from the clean dishes. "Where is that son of yours, Link?" he asked curiously.

Again, Bilbo was interrupted in his answer. "You have a son?" Gloin had asked.

"Is he as small as you? Or smaller?" Kili asked excitedly, smiling brightly.

Bilbo swallowed and huffed, deciding to answer each question in turn. He pointed at Gandalf, "He's out practicing with that bow and arrow you gave him, without my permission, by the way." then at Gloin, "He's my son by adoption." and finally at Kili. "Not by a long shot."

At that, the Dwarves were all abuzz and began mumbling to each other. Gandalf was merely smirking in delight that Link was putting his special gift to use. "So he liked the gift, eh? Is he good with it?" He asked interestedly, although it sounded like he already knew the answer.

"He is very good with it, if the trees in the woods have anything to say about it." Bilbo managed a small chuckle at the thought. "I'm not that surprised, though. He's been reading about that sort of thing for years. It's why I let him keep it, honestly." There was a short pause where Bilbo looked up to Gandalf, who was looking down at him with an arched eyebrow. "I know he's not completely happy here. I know he needs to get up and stretch his legs every once in a while. He's not a Hobbit, it's not in his blood to sit around in comfort all day." Bilbo was suddenly frowning, sounding sad. "I only wish I could raise him like he should be being raised."

A heavy hand suddenly fell on his shoulder. "Bilbo, my friend, you have done just fine. You've given him a home, you've cared for him, and protected him." Smiling, Gandalf added, "Just the fact that you can tell he cannot be raised exactly like a Hobbit makes you a very capable father for him."

Bilbo seems to soak that in for a moment, before the thought makes him smile. "Thank you, Gandalf. It means a lot to hear you say that." Bilbo paused. "But it doesn't forgive whatever is happening in my home right now."

Gandalf frowned deeply, and was about to reply, but a hard, slow knock was heard at the door.

Everyone went silent as his face suddenly grew dark. "He is here..."

Gandalf led Bilbo and all of the Dwarves to the front door and opened it for the next, and final guest of their party. On Bilbo's doorstep was a Dwarf with long, wavy black hair and strikingly deep blue eyes. His beard was thick, but not long like the others, and Bilbo saw the hint of a couple of braids hanging down from the sides of his head. The Hobbit felt his breath hitch a little when he first saw him.

"Gandalf." The Dwarf's deep voice greeted (Bilbo almost shivered at the sound of it), as he stepped in, removing his cloak. "I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. Wouldn't have found it at all, had it not been for that mark on the door."

"Mark? There's no mark on that door! It was painted a week ago!" Bilbo broke out of whatever trance he had been in and began arguing.

"There is a mark there, I put it there myself." Gandalf replied offhandedly. "Now, Bilbo Baggins, let me introduce you to the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield."

Bilbo swallowed harshly as Thorin's gaze fell on him and their eyes met. He mentally berated himself at feeling the pink in his cheeks. "So, this is the Hobbit." he smirked with crossed arms. "Tell me, Mister Baggins, have you done much fighting?" He began circling Bilbo, as if he were assessing him.

Growing nervous under the attention, Bilbo coughed. "Pardon me?"

"Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice?" Thorin barraged on, finally coming to a stop to Bilbo's left.

The Dwarves behind Thorin were starting to whisper amongst themselves, some chuckling. "Well, I have some skill at Conkers if you must know, but I fail to see how that's relevant." He fought to keep his voice steady under all the attention, and Thorin's intense eyes.

Thorin's smirk grew wider. "Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar."

His line had everyone laughing, and they moved off back to the dining room, leaving Bilbo standing confusedly in the hallway with Gandalf eyeing him with pity. The only thing that really brought Bilbo out of the thought of being insulted by the most handsome Dwarf he'd ever seen was the fact that there was another quick knock at the door.

He turned around in time to see Link walk in yawning, Gandalf's quiver of arrows strapped to his waist and bow in hand. Bilbo didn't have enough time to warn him before the teen's eyes had fallen upon the band of Dwarves at their dining table and his head cocked to the side like a confused pup.

"Ah, young Link!" Gandalf greeted the teen first, who looked to him in surprise. "How was your training? Bilbo tells me you're quite good with that bow!"

Blinking up at him in surprise, Link gave a hesitant thumbs up and an awkward looking smile before leaning down to Bilbo. He simply had to arch an eyebrow and point at the table of Dwarves in the next room to get his point across.

"Yes, I know, I don't understand either." Bilbo shrugged, done with trying to make sense of the situation for the time being. "Right now, why don't you go put the bow away and I'll make something for you to eat, alright?" Bilbo patted him on the arm and smiled tiredly.

Link assessed him for a moment. Then, he shook his head and motioned to the dinner table.

Bilbo rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. You make something if you're even hungry. I'll try and deal with...whatever this is." Bilbo waved his arm in the direction of the Dwarves and shook his head.

Link was smiling when he stood back up, and even spared a smile for Gandalf before he started making his way down the hall. But then-

"Why is there an Elf here?"

There was a silence where Gandalf sighed, Bilbo looked affronted and confused, and Link froze in his tracks, only to turn his head in the direction of the voice that had spoken with a challenging eyebrow arched upward. Neither of the three knew which Dwarf had said it because they were all glaring over at Link, but the assumption was that it had been Gloin.

Thorin stood up from the seat he had taken and made his way over slowly. "You made no mention of Elves joining us on this quest." He growled, his eyes shifting from Link to Gandalf.

An out roar erupted from the table, Dwarves shouting nonsense and insults about the whole situation. Bilbo tried to get everyone to stop yelling, but just like his efforts had been before, nobody listened to him and kept yelling at themselves, Gandalf, and Link all at once. Bilbo noticed with fright that Link's hand was gripping his bow so tightly that his knuckles were turning white and his face was twitching angrily. He turned to Gandalf for help. The wizard thankfully caught his gaze and nodded a little before facing back to the Dwarves.

"SILENCE!"

Every mouth shut closed at Gandalf's cry and all eyes were suddenly on him. The old wizard sighed heavily, looking much older than he really was at that moment. He rubbed a wrinkled hand over his face in irritation. "The reason I made no mention of an Elf, Thorin Oakenshield, is because there is no ordinary Elf." He explained simply.

"Yes there is, you daft wizard! He's right there!" Gloin shouted from the table.

Before the other Dwarves could start agreeing with him, Gandalf was speaking again. "Everyone, this is no real Elf that stands before you."

"Well of course he's not." Fili says suddenly, drawing the attention to himself. "I mean...look at his ears." He shrugged. "Have you ever seen an Elf with ears like that?"

Bilbo groaned and held his head in his hand. Fili hadn't meant to be insulting, he could tell, but...Link still wouldn't take it lightly. But it only got worse from there.

"He's got a point." Ori had added from on the other side of the table. "The ears are too...narrow. Differently shaped and all that."

"They stick off his head a little too much, too. Like...antlers on a deer." Kili added, also not in an insulting way, but it still made everyone laugh.

Bilbo heard a noise from behind him and took his eyes off the chuckling Dwarves to look behind him. Link's head was turned to the ground, attempting to hide his expression. Thankfully, Bilbo's height gave him an advantage there. He could see that Link's eyes were shut tightly and his jaw was clenching. The noise had been the teen trying to fight off tears in his eyes. "Link..." Bilbo made to reach out for him.

But then, Link was gone, storming briskly down the hall and out of sight.

And that was the last straw.

"ALRIGHT, ENOUGH!"

Everyone grew quiet once again, but instead of turning to Gandalf, they had to turn to a glaring, livid Bilbo. "What in the name of Middle Earth is wrong with you dwarves?" He shouted accusingly. "You barge into my home without asking to come in, you pillage my pantry and eat all the food that I and my son," he pointed harshly down the hallway Link disappeared in. "sort of need to survive, you all but destroy the plumbing, and then you have the nerve, the gall, to insult my son when he's done absolutely nothing to you!" He paused to breathe. "I'm close to kicking you out of my home right now!"

"Now, Bilbo, let's not be too hasty there." Gandalf shot out, resting a hand on Bilbo's shoulder. "I am sure they meant nothing rudely, now did they?" Bilbo noticed Kili shrink under Gandalf's hard gaze.

"No..." the dwarf prince replied lowly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean it to be an insult, I promise!" He gave both of them a look like a kicked puppy.

Bilbo huffed, able to tell that Kili was truly sorry. "You don't apologize to me for that." He shook his head, making the young dwarf look at him in surprise. "You apologize to me for inviting yourself in and eating all my food. You apologize to Link for calling him a deer with antlers. Even if you didn't mean it that way!" Bilbo held up a hand to stop Kili's interruption near the end.

Kili sighed. "You're right, I should. I'll go do it now." He made to leave but Bilbo stopped him again.

"Now's not the best time to approach him, I'm afraid. Especially since he has that bow." Bilbo shuddered a little before continuing. "He'll come back out sooner or later, and if you see him, you can apologize then. For now, just let him...cool off."

"We have business to attend to anyway." Thorin spoke as he made his way back to the table. "We must decide how we will go about reaching Erebor."

While the dwarves were distracted with their leader, Bilbo tugged on Gandalf's robe. "What did you mean when you said Link wasn't an Elf?" He asked in a hushed tone once Gandalf had knelt down to his height.

"It is merely a funny suspicion, my dear Bilbo, nothing more. But when, or if, Link is feeling up to it any time...I would like to run a trial to test if my theories are correct." Gandalf stared eerily down the hallway.

"Trial? What sort of trial?" Bilbo pressed further.

Gandalf decided not to answer Bilbo, and instead gave a little huff as he straightened back up. "Alright, let's get down to it then. Bilbo? A little more light, please?" Bilbo looked like he was about to demand the answers he asked for, but Gandalf's eyes told him to leave it for the time being.

With a sigh, Bilbo nodded. "Right."

And it had been such a good day until then...

* * *

><p><span><strong>-Bilbo-<strong>

So, in the meeting that the Dwarves had put together, Bilbo discovered that the Dwarves were asking Bilbo to help them reclaim the lost Dwarven city of Erebor, which Thorin was actually King of, and their stolen treasure from an evil, malicious Dragon that attacked and settled in the mountain years upon years ago, by sneaking in from a supposedly real back door to the city. The contract of employment was what really got to him; more specifically the funeral arrangement section. At the mention of lacerations, evisceration, and incineration, Bilbo needed a bit of a lie down.

Could he really be blamed for fainting?

And now, he had Gandalf hounding him about going along with the whole ordeal and signing the contract. "Tell me, Bilbo; when did doilies and your mother's dishes become so important to you? I remember you as a young boy, going out to play and explore the woods, only to trail mud and twigs back into the house after you!" Gandalf reprimanded, pacing whilst Bilbo sat comfortably in a chair, trying to ignore the whole situation. "The world is out there, Bilbo; not in your books and maps."

Bilbo merely rolled his eyes. "I can't just go off running into the blue, Gandalf. I am a Baggins of Bag End!"

"You are also a Took!"

Bilbo's head fell back on his chair while Gandalf went off on a tangent about how Bilbo's great-great-great-great uncle Bullroarer Took won the Battle of Green Fields by knocking a Goblin King's head clean off with his club and it landed in a rabbit hole a hundred yards away. Bilbo huffed when the wizard took a seat in front of him at the end of the story.

"You will have a tale or two of your own to tell when you get back." He had said with a small smile.

Bilbo sighed and glanced at the floor before looking back up. "Can you promise me that I will come back?" He asked carefully, his green, assessing eyes studying the wizard.

Gandalf's small smile faded when he spoke. "No. But if you do, you will not be the same."

There was a pause where Bilbo pursed his lips and nodded in thought. He could die, he could very well die, if he agreed to go on the quest. Bilbo had never been faced with a decision as large and life-changing as this one before. Except when he had adopted Link. Of course, death hadn't been an issue with that, but it altered his entire way of living. The boy had affected him in a way nothing else could have, and Bilbo always thought back on how his life would have been had he not taken Link under his roof. He imagined it would have been extremely lonely and sad.

Perhaps this adventure would be the same?

But death was not an option. He couldn't risk his life for these Dwarves, he barely knew them, and they barely knew him. And what could he possibly have to offer to the quest anyway? Link's confiscated slingshot from when he was twelve? Even if he wanted to bring it along, he couldn't remember where he had hidden it. Either way, Bilbo knew he would be no use on the quest, and didn't want to be a burden along the way.

"Sorry, Gandalf." Bilbo announced, standing from his chair and avoiding the wizard's eyes. "I can't sign this contract. You should find another Hobbit." And with that, he made his way out of the atrium.

He was going down the hallway, planning to go to sleep and try and forget the stressful evening events, but he had bumped into something on his way down. He knew what, or really who, was blocking his way in a second.

Link.

The teen was standing right in the middle of the hall with his arms crossed defiantly and staring Bilbo down with a fire in his blue eyes. Bilbo sighed heavily. Of course Link would eavesdrop. He has hearing like a bat, after all. What more should Bilbo have expected.

"Alright, how much did you hear?" He asked quietly, hoping to avoid drawing unwanted attention from the guests that were occupying the parlour and dining room.

Link simply motioned the word 'Everything' with his hands, and crossed them again when he was done.

Bilbo huffed indignantly. "Look, Link, I'm not going, that's final! It's-it's dangerous, I'd be a bother, and I could very well die." He explained shortly, starting to lose his grip on the situation.

Silence enveloped the two of them as Link knelt down to Bilbo's height, the fire in his eyes dissipating into a pleading gaze. To Bilbo's great fear, Link started moving his hands to the sentence he should've seen coming. 'They need you.'

"I...I don't know, Link, I really don't, alright! I just...I would be afraid that I'd hold them back. I'd just burden them." Bilbo argued back lamely. His composure was beginning to crumble.

'That's no excuse when they can't return home without you.' Link signed back furiously, his face growing harder.

"Is it? I have no means of self defense; I would probably be dead before we even reached the mountain." Bilbo argued back with a hand landing on his hip.

Silently, Link's face contorted in thought, before glancing down to the quiver that he had forgotten to remove from his waist.

Bilbo shook his head. "No, I can't take your bow from you. It's too big, and I have no idea how to even use it."

Link's head didn't move, but his eyes met Bilbo's through his thick bangs and the Hobbit barely made out an arched eyebrow on the teen's face. Bilbo merely arched an eyebrow back and the two of them sat in silence for a moment.

Then, it clicked. "Oh, no! No, no, no! No way are you going with me!" Bilbo whispered sternly. He wished he could raise his voice a little, but he didn't want to draw attention to themselves. Link gave him a blank look with his eyebrow still sticking up. "No! There's no way! You'll get hurt!"

Link gave him an incredulous look and pulled up an arrow from the quiver and held it up. "Yes I know you can shoot, but that doesn't mean you're ready to go out into the wilderness!" Bilbo argued back.

Link was about to start signing, but a sound stopped them both from moving. There was humming coming from the parlour down the hall. The two looked at each other, before creeping off silently toward the low song being sung by their Dwarfish guests.

"_Far over the Misty Mountains cold_

_To dungeons deep and caverns old_

_We must await ere break of day_

_To find our long forgotten gold_"

As they continued on with the second verse, Bilbo felt Link's eyes fall back on him. The hobbit would have said something, but couldn't. He couldn't really argue anymore. Link, however, was kneeling back down next to him, and signing his last words on the matter. 'You helped me when I needed you. You should help them for the same reasons.'

Bilbo's first string of defiance snapped in half as the song ended, and Link's hands fell back to his sides. These Dwarves did need him, he had to admit. They had lost their home, after all. They were travelers, and had nowhere to stay, no...consistency in their lives. If Bag End was ever stolen from him...Bilbo didn't know what he would do. He looked into the room of depressed Dwarves next to him, and blinked slowly. He should help. He needed to help.

He _wanted_ to help.

Bilbo breathed in calmly and quietly. "Fine." He mumbled, causing Link's face to brighten up.

Before he could even think twice about the whole situation, Link was shoving him into the parlour full of surprised looking dwarves. They all stared at him, and Bilbo's demeanor deflated and he was suddenly nervous again. When he didn't speak, Link nudged him with a foot, causing Bilbo to cough gently, rubbing the back of his head. "I, uh...I've made up my mind. I'll help you." He admitted, albeit reluctantly.

The Dwarves were cheering in an instant. Balin came up to him as the celebration began with the contract of employment in his hand. "Here you go, laddie." He handed it to Bilbo with a wink.

Bilbo went over to a table to sign his name underneath the neat cursive that spelled out Thorin's own. His breath hitched again. He hadn't realized agreeing to this journey meant being stuck with these confusing feelings tickling his stomach when he looked at the King. He swallowed and glanced behind him, meeting with Link's encouraging thumbs up, Gandalf's smug smile, and the Dwarves' cheeriness. It was too late to back down now.

With a huff, Bilbo drew up his courage, steadied his hand and signed his name with a flourish.

No turning back.

"Excellent! Everything seems to be in order!" Balin announced when he observed Bilbo's signature a moment later. Everyone was cheering again and Bilbo was being patted on the back by a proud Gandalf.

When the excitement died down, Thorin had spoken up. "Will _he _be joining us as well?" He gestured to Link with his head and looking to Gandalf with a slightly sour face.

However, it was not the wizard who answered. Bilbo said "No," loud and clear, while Link nodded his head.

Bilbo wasn't surprised when he felt a less than gentle kick was aimed for his leg. When he turned around, he saw the look of astonishment he was expecting to see on Link's face. "I already talked to you about this! I don't want you in any trouble or getting hurt, so you're staying here! That's final!"

In an instant, the two were arguing, Bilbo words coming out a mile-a-minute, and Link's hands and arms moving at light speed. The Dwarves were watching with almost fascinated curiosity, some of them chuckling at the scene. Gandalf sighed and let the two of them attempt to settle their differences for a little while before inserting himself in the argument.

"Alright, you two, that's quite enough!" He exclaimed, stepping towards the both of them. Both father and son looked up at Gandalf with glaring faces, upset about being interrupted. Gandalf ignored it for the time being. "Link, if I may, I'd like to do something. May I?"

Link's expression morphed from anger to curiosity. His head fell to the side in question.

"Just a simple test to see if I am correct about something. If you're up to it, of course." He added quickly.

Bilbo wanted to inquire further, but apparently, he had no say in the matter, because Link shrugged carelessly and nodded. Gandalf nodded back with a mysterious smile. "Good. I would rather do this in a place with more room though. Bilbo, could we possibly step into the atrium?"

Huffing, Bilbo nodded. "Yes, come on. Let's go." He made his way down the hall with Link and Gandalf trailing after him, and by the sound of extra, loud footsteps, the Dwarves were following them as well. Bilbo's nose wrinkled in distaste.

Nosy Dwarves...

* * *

><p><span><strong>-Link-<strong>

When they arrived in the atrium, Link followed Gandalf's gesturing hand to the center of the room. He caught a glance of Bilbo's disgruntled face and held back a snort of laughter. His father really had been having a rough night. He also noticed the Dwarves peeking into the room from the hallway and arched an eyebrow.

"Everyone might as well come in. If my suspicions are correct, I want all of you to know it. Hurry now!" Gandalf ushered them in with a waving hand.

As the Dwarves piled in, Bilbo crossed his arms. "Gandalf, what is this all about? Is this that...test you had mentioned earlier?" He asked. Link looked back at him questioningly.

"Yes, it is indeed. Link," Gandalf brought the teen's attention back to him. "Am I to understand that you don't remember your childhood or where you came from before Bilbo adopted you?" Link looked surprised, his blue eyes wide. He nodded carefully, confused as to how Gandalf had known that. "Would you like me to try and help you remember? It could be painful..." The old man warned carefully.

Link didn't listen as Bilbo started chastising Gandalf at the prospect of harming him. His eyes had fallen to the floor, where they trained focus for quite a long while. Gandalf was offering him a chance, a window of opportunity to seek the truth about his history; where he came from, who he was, what he was...and why he had forgotten it all. He couldn't pass up the chance. He turned his head back up to Gandalf and nodded fiercely.

"Very well then." Gandalf nodded, as Bilbo continued to argue fruitlessly. "Give me your hand, if you please."

Link swallowed and held his hand up, allowing Gandalf to take it in one of his own. The wizard's other hand made its way to rest on Link's shiny, blond head. "Close your eyes." Link did so. Then, Gandalf began muttering words under his breath, seemingly of a different language. He spoke quickly, though and Link couldn't tell what exactly he was speaking, or even saying. But soon, that wasn't his biggest concern anymore.

Pain. Searing pain overtook his skull. He groaned and tried to reach for his head, but his arms wouldn't move. In fact, his whole body was frozen. He couldn't move at all. He tried struggling but it was to no avail. There was no way he could move a single bone in his body. He couldn't even open his eyes.

Images started streaming through his vision. The things of his nightmares were flashing before him; the flames, the blood, the bodies, the weapons, the monsters, the shadowed figure with glowing eyes...He wanted to cry out for them, tell them it was hopeless, that they would all die, like they always did. But no words would ever leave his mouth. Not even in his nightmares. But other voices began calling out to him. "_Link...Link..._" He was shocked at the sound. It wasn't a voice he'd ever heard before. "_Go...run, child! Don't look back!_" Run? He wished he could, but his feet were nailed to the ground. Then, "_Where are you, Hero...I've been looking for you..._" That voice. The dark, evil sound that brought shivers down Link's spine. The one that told him every other night that it was coming to find him. He started trying to struggle again. "_Mommy loves you, Link...Daddy does too...please do this for us. Please run, now!_" Mommy? Daddy? Link started to feel tears fall from his eyes and his breathing was becoming ragged. A man and woman were stabbed and killed right in front of him by one of the monstrous creatures that killed the other people as well. The monster transformed into the shadow with bright eyes and slowly crept forward, closer and closer to him. "_I'm coming for you...Hero...Link..._"

Link screamed.

His brain was throbbing in pain, and his heart was pounding. He found his shaking body falling backwards almost onto the ground, but thankfully someone, he didn't know who, had caught him before he could. He was whimpering in pain, breathing heavily and unevenly with tears falling out of his eyes. He was too in pain to even care about feeling embarrassed, crying in front of so many strangers.

"What did you do to him?" He heard Bilbo shouting furiously from across the room. "Are you trying to kill him? What have you done?"

"I...I apologize, Bilbo..." Gandalf spoke next, his voice sounding shaky and uneven, much like Link's heartbeat. "I...was not aware so many memories were being repressed..." He heard a chair creak, as if the wizard sat down in it. Perhaps the experience had shaken him up too?

Link forced his eyes open, and found his vision to be extremely blurry and unfocused. He shut them again quickly, deciding to focus on breathing instead of seeing. "He's shaking really badly..." A voice spoke directly behind him and made him jump. He recognized it as the voice of the Dwarf who had called him a deer earlier. He found himself unable to care at the moment.

"Someone get him some water, then...he needs it." The old wizard said tiredly from his chair.

"I'll get it!" He heard one of the Dwarves say. Why a Dwarf was being kind enough to Link to get him water, he had no idea, but he wasn't about to question it. He was really looking forward to that water.

Meanwhile, he heard murmuring around the room and Bilbo suddenly spoke to him, sounding closer than he had before. "Are you going to be alright, Link?" he asked carefully, and the teen in question felt a hand touch his forehead, checking for a fever.

Link only managed a nod before hearing, "Got the water!"

"Here, drink this. It'll help." Bilbo spoke again gently.

Blinking his eyes open, Link lifted a shaky hand. His vision had almost gone back to normal and he was able to make out Bilbo sitting in front of him with a glass of water in his hand. Link took it carefully, and the cup started shaking along with his own tremors. He took small sips at a time until the water was gone, and the shakiness in his hand stopped.

The voice from behind him spoke. "Are you...are you alright now?" he asked hesitantly, almost sounding scared.

Link turned around slowly to come face to face with the Dwarf who caught him; wavy brown hair, blinking brown eyes, and stubble decorating his chin, not enough to be considered a beard, but enough to be acknowledged. Link nodded at him weakly and forced himself to try standing up. He stumbled a little on the way, but managed to do it on his own just fine.

"Link." Gandalf spoke to him from his chair. "Tell me. What did you see?"

Link stared at him, his face uncharacteristically blank. The signs 'dark', 'fire', 'blood', and 'death' were spelled out from his hands before he sat cross-legged in one of Bilbo's armchairs and crossed his arms over his chest.

"That was what I was afraid of..." Gandalf muttered, standing up again.

"Wait, what did that mean? What did he say?" A dwarf with a strange hat on had asked.

"Bad things." Bilbo answered sadly. "Very bad things. Nothing we need to go into detail to."

There was a short pause where Gandalf sighed heavily. "I am sorry to say this, Link, but there is something after you; someone after you."

Link only nodded his head, face still stoic in demeanor.

"Wait, someone's after him? Who? Why?" Bilbo exclaimed, getting defensive again.

"Allow me to speak and I will explain, Bilbo." Gandalf replied a little too harshly. "It all has to do with an ancient race of Elves called the Hylians. The Hylians were a lesser evolved form of Elf, being the spawn of mixed blood between Men and Elves. They were a rare race found on Middle Earth, and were determined by the narrow, long shape of their ears. The only places they settled were around the hills and lake of Evendim and called the land Hyrule. It is not too far off from here, actually, which is probably how Link came to run across Hobbiton. Anyway, the Hylians were a race of warriors, hunters, and gatherers. They lived in almost constant shadow of the Gerudo Goblins."

"I know of them..." Thorin suddenly muttered. "The breed of all females, led by the first male born in a century. They are almost the most violent of any Goblin pack. Why would the Hylians live under their shadow?" He asked, sounding surprisingly interested.

"Because they were natural born protectors." Gandalf answered simply, pulling out a long wooden pipe and preparing to smoke it. "Hylians were strong and brave, but undoubtedly too kind. Their race wanted to protect the peace of the Shire, and whatever other borders they could reach, from the shadows of the Gerudo. They didn't wish for acknowledgement, or repayment, so they told no one of where they settled, or what they fought for."

"Except for you of course." Bilbo huffed in annoyance.

Gandalf ignored the interruption easily. "The Gerudo Goblins always feared their race, because every decade, a Hylian would be the one to kill their King, and Gerudo Goblins are dysfunctional without a King to rule them. One King in particular, for this reason, planned an attack to wipe out the entire Hylian race, so there was no chance of him being put to death. He sent all his troops to the borders of Hyrule and gave orders to destroy everything in sight. And he almost succeeded. Less than fifty Hylians remained after the battle and the slaughter of the King. They worked hard to rebuild their lives...but they were never the same again.

"But the new Gerudo King had taken throne much quicker than the Hylians expected. He decided to carry out his successor's previous plans and sent out his newly trained Gerudos to Hyrule. And this time, they weren't expected..." Gandalf grew quiet as he blew smoke from his mouth after a long breath through the his pipe. Link watched the smoke ring float to the fire in the fireplace and cringed. "Death came upon the Hylians that night... They had fought to the last breath, but in the end...they were too outnumbered, for their race was more children than warriors at the time." Link turned his head down. "But one child managed to get away..."

Slowly, Link turned his head up to see everyone staring at him. "It seems we have a survivor among us." Gandalf stated with a small smile. "Which means that fighting is in your blood, Link. You were made to be a warrior, and nothing but."

Link stared for a while, his head swimming with confusion. He had so many questions, yet no voice to ask them with. His arms would fall off if he had to sign them all out. And he would probably keep the poor wizard up past midnight, too. He looked down at his hands and thought back to his itch for freedom. He suddenly understood it now.

"So, wait, you said somebody was looking for him. Who is looking for him?" Bilbo persisted worriedly. Link agreed that he would like to know as well.

Gandalf blew another smoke ring. "The current Gerudo King who failed to kill him. He goes by the name of Ganondorf." He muttered not much louder than a whisper.

"So he should come with us!" The brown-haired dwarf that called Link a deer exclaimed (Link hadn't been formally introduced to their names yet. He made a mental note to take care of that later). "He should get further away, shouldn't he? The Gerudos are bound to search here eventually. He should leave now while he has the chance!"

"No, he should stay in hiding!" Bilbo argued with the dwarf, and then turned to Gandalf. "Shouldn't he? Leaving might draw attention to himself. And who knows, they could have spies planted all over Middle Earth looking for him. He should stay. In. Hiding." Bilbo finished sternly, crossing his arms.

Gandalf turned to Link suddenly, surprising the Hylian with his voice. "Both Bilbo and Kili," so _that_ was the Dwarf's name. "have excellent points Link. You are, and will be, hunted no matter where you go. The question is; what would you like to do with the time you have? Hide or travel?"

Link practically smirked when he heard Bilbo groan. The Hobbit knew him so well.

Without hesitation, he signed the word 'Travel' for Gandalf to see.

In return, the wizard smiled. "Good. Thorin?" Gandalf addressed the Dwarf King suddenly. "Would you mind a fifteenth member being added to the company? He has his own bow." Gandalf added with a wink in Link's direction.

Thorin stood still for a moment, his eyes falling to the ground in thought. They lifted up every now and then, and Link could swear they were looking in Bilbo's direction, and he had seen right if said Hobbit's blushing cheeks had anything to say about it. Link would remember to address that later.

After a minute or two, Thorin answered. "He can come." Was all he said before he was out of the room.

Well...that was that, then.

"Welcome to the company, lads." A white-haired dwarf called out to them on their way out. "We'll see you in the morning, then." With a smile, he was gone with the rest of them.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>**:** Alright, guys, serious question here; should Link have a romance with anyone? If so, I'd pick between Kili, Fili, or Legolas (Seeing as how I've given those thought and all that). If you could pick one of those three, that would be great :)

Also, school is starting up again right now, so updates may be pretty shaky, but I'll keep trying to find time to write.

Thanks again for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! :D


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